Springtime on Mars: Great Hubble View of the Red Planet

This Hubble view of the planet Mars was the clearest picture ever taken from Earth at the time, surpassed only by close-up shots sent back by visiting space probes. The picture was taken on February 25, 1995, when Mars was at a distance of approximately 65 million miles (103 million km) from Earth. Towering 16 miles (25 km) above the surrounding plains, volcano Ascraeus Mons pokes above the cloud deck near the western or limb.